Various forms of intraoral scanners, with which depth images of three-dimensional surface geometries can be gained and then merged in different ways, are known from the state of the art. If, however, the process of scanning is interrupted, various elaborate procedures which frequently require human support become necessary in order to resume an interrupted scanning process. Known automated systems are generally unsuccessful or can only function if the area in which the scan is to be applied “anew” has previously been manually restricted.